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How Humidity Affects Your HVAC System and Indoor Comfort Levels

When most people think about indoor comfort, they focus on temperature. But humidity – both too much and too little – plays a significant role in your home’s comfort and your HVAC system’s performance. The right balance of humidity improves air quality, energy efficiency, and even the lifespan of your air conditioning and heating equipment.

At Go Green Heating & Air Conditioning, we help homeowners in Denver maintain the perfect indoor climate year-round. In this guide, we’ll explore how humidity affects your HVAC system, your comfort, and what you can do to achieve optimal indoor air quality.

What Is Humidity and Why Does It Matter?

Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air. It’s typically measured as relative humidity (RH), which is the percentage of moisture in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at a given temperature.

For ideal indoor comfort, the recommended humidity level is between 30% and 50%. Levels outside this range can lead to problems with your HVAC system, health, and home environment.

  • High humidity (above 50%) can cause mold growth, poor air quality, and a strain on your HVAC system.
  • Low humidity (below 30%) can lead to dry skin, respiratory issues, and increased static electricity in your home.

How High Humidity Affects Your HVAC System

Excessive moisture in the air makes your air conditioning system work harder to keep your home cool and comfortable. Here’s why:

1. Overworking Your Air Conditioner

When humidity is high, your air conditioning system must remove both heat and moisture from the air. This added workload can:

  • Reduce efficiency, making your system run longer and use more energy.
  • Increase wear and tear, leading to more frequent repairs.
  • Shorten the lifespan of your air conditioner.

2. Poor Cooling Performance

Even if your AC is running, high humidity can make your home feel warmer and sticky. This is because excess moisture prevents sweat from evaporating off your skin, making you feel hotter than the actual temperature.

3. Mold and Mildew Growth

Warm, damp conditions create the perfect environment for mold and mildew. High humidity levels can cause condensation inside your HVAC system, leading to mold growth in:

  • Air ducts
  • Evaporator coils
  • Air filters

Mold spores can then circulate through your home, leading to allergies, respiratory issues, and musty odors.

4. Higher Energy Bills

Since your air conditioning system must work harder in humid conditions, it consumes more energy. This leads to higher electricity bills during the summer.

How Low Humidity Affects Your HVAC System

While high humidity is a common issue during warmer months, low humidity can be just as problematic – especially during Denver’s dry winters.

1. Increased Static Electricity

Dry air increases static electricity, leading to annoying shocks when touching doorknobs, carpets, and electronics.

2. Dry and Cracked Wood

Low humidity can cause hardwood floors, furniture, and wooden doors to crack or warp over time. This is especially concerning in Denver’s climate, where dry air is common in winter.

3. Respiratory Problems

Dry indoor air can irritate your throat, nose, and lungs, causing:

  • Dry skin and chapped lips
  • Worsened allergies and asthma
  • Increased risk of colds and respiratory infections

4. Strain on Your Heating System

When humidity is too low, air feels colder than it actually is. This often leads homeowners to crank up the heat, increasing energy usage and heating bills.

The Role of Your HVAC System in Controlling Humidity

Your HVAC system does more than just heat and cool your home – it also plays a crucial role in humidity control.

1. Air Conditioners and Humidity

Your air conditioning system naturally removes some humidity as it cools the air. However, if your AC is too large for your home, it may cool the air too quickly without effectively dehumidifying, leading to lingering moisture.

2. Whole-Home Dehumidifiers

If high humidity is a recurring problem, installing a whole-home dehumidifier can help maintain balanced moisture levels. These systems work alongside your HVAC unit to remove excess humidity and improve comfort.

3. Furnaces and Humidity

In winter, your furnace can dry out indoor air, leading to the issues associated with low humidity.

4. Whole-Home Humidifiers

To combat dry air, a whole-home humidifier can be installed within your HVAC system. This device adds moisture to the air as it circulates, preventing overly dry conditions.

Tips for Maintaining Ideal Indoor Humidity

Here are some practical steps to keep your home’s humidity levels in check:

For High Humidity (Above 50%)

Use exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms to remove excess moisture.
Install a dehumidifier to reduce indoor humidity.
Ensure your air conditioning system is properly sized and maintained.
Keep air filters clean to prevent airflow blockages.

For Low Humidity (Below 30%)

Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air during winter.
Keep houseplants indoors, as they naturally increase humidity.
Avoid overusing your furnace, and consider setting it to a moderate temperature.
Place bowls of water near heating vents to introduce moisture into the air.

Why Choose Go Green Heating & Air Conditioning?

At Go Green Heating & Air Conditioning, we understand that humidity control is just as important as temperature control when it comes to indoor comfort. Whether you need air conditioning services to reduce humidity or a humidifier installation for dry winter air, our team has the expertise to help.

We offer:
Expert HVAC maintenance, repair, and installation
Energy-efficient heating and cooling solutions
Whole-home humidifier and dehumidifier installations
Personalized recommendations for improving indoor air quality

Contact Go Green Heating & Air Conditioning Today!

If you’re struggling with high or low humidity levels, your HVAC system may need an upgrade or adjustment. At Go Green Heating & Air Conditioning, we provide expert solutions for Denver air conditioning and heating needs.

Call us today to schedule an HVAC inspection and take control of your indoor comfort!

Can You Install an A/C on Any Wall?

Bringing cool air to every room in your home is possible—learn how to leverage the walls of your home.

In the world of air conditioning, it is fairly common to incorporate walls into the overall design. Whether you invest in a wall-mounted air conditioner for every room of your home or a centralized system that feeds through the walls, you might wonder what determines what will and will not work.

In this post, we are going to explore what you need to know about installing air conditioning on the walls of your home.

Installing Air Conditioning on Home Walls

Are you looking to turn your wall into a source of cool and refreshing air? These considerations can help you to find a solution that will last.

Can You Install Wall-Mounted A/C Units on Any Wall?

Wall-mounted A/C units are a popular option for convenient local cooling. These units are often fitted directly into walls or placed on top of them. Their only real requirement is that they need a wall.

Although wall-mounted air conditioning units can be fitted on most walls. There may be some details that would make some walls less than ideal for this purpose. If the wall-mounted A/C unit is going through the wall, it is important to select a wall that does not have any features that might be compromised during the installation.

Can You Bring Air Conditioning to the Walls of Any Room?

Most rooms can be fitted with air conditioning in some capacity. Whether it is the addition of a wall-mounted unit or just the vents of a centralized system, modern homes are designed to support these systems. Older homes can often be a good fit as well, although some exceptions may apply. No matter what, you should be able to bring air conditioning to the rooms of your home.

How to Make the Best Choice for Bringing A/C to Your Walls

The majority of homeowners want homes that offer a comfortable indoor temperature to balance the weather every month of the year. This is a completely understandable standard to keep for your home—and your walls can offer countless solutions.

There are many air conditioning solutions available that can leverage walls. However, there are also considerations that can influence the eventual quality of your room’s air conditioning design. When it comes to making decisions, it helps to have the support of an expert.

To get the best possible air conditioning solutions, homeowners should always work with professionals that understand the complicated dynamics involved with air conditioning. Making the decision to call in professionals can allow you to stop guessing and give you the power to invest in solutions that will support your home.

The Takeaway

Homeowners have many solutions available when it comes to bringing cool air into their homes. To invest in a design that will be the perfect match for any room in your residence, you should work with professionals. We offer dedicated Denver air conditioning services that last. To learn more, contact us today!

Is it Worth Repairing an Old Air Conditioner, or Should I Replace It?

Old air conditioning units can break down for several common reasons—find out what to do when it happens.

Air conditioners help by removing humidity from the air and keeping different spaces nice and cool. Most of us use our air conditioners regularly throughout the year, which means these systems can get quite a bit of use. As time passes, regular use will often lead these machines to break down. When this happens, you might wonder if you should repair your system or outright replace it.

In this post, we will take a look at when you should repair your A/C unit and when you should just replace it instead.

Replace or Repair: How to Handle Your Old A/C Unit

An air conditioner can break down for a lot of reasons, and the severity of the problem can vary. There are many pieces at work in an air conditioner, making it difficult to know when something can be repaired and when it isn’t actually worth the effort to repair it. Consider the following.

When Should You Repair an Old Air Conditioner?

The main reasons that most people choose to repair old air conditioning units are because they are hoping to save money or because a full replacement really isn’t necessary.

If you are looking to spend as little as possible, repairing a unit is often a good idea. In general, a repair will be cheaper than an outright replacement, even for some fairly significant problems.

Of course, sometimes it is better to repair an A/C unit because the unit really isn’t badly broken. Some small repairs can be fixed in no time, allowing you to keep your system for a while longer.

When Should You Replace an Old Air Conditioner?

Replacing an air conditioner may seem like a last resort, but sometimes it really is for the better. If your unit is severely broken or experiencing a lot of wear and tear, it may be best to replace the entire unit rather than risk it breaking again sometime soon.

A failing system is a good reason to replace the unit, but you may also want to replace it for a better experience. New air conditioners can provide a more efficient system, higher air quality, and may even help you to lower your monthly cooling costs.

The Takeaway

Before you decide if you want to repair or replace your unit, the best thing you can do is get an expert opinion. When you need A/C repair, Denver has experts who are more than happy to help. We can inspect your system, identify problems, and help you to decide if you would prefer repairs or a replacement. No matter what you decide, we will support you through the next steps and make sure your home is nice and cool when you need it to be!

How Do You Unfreeze an Air Conditioner?

Sometimes air conditioners freeze—find out what to do when this happens.

Air conditioning units give us the cool air we love in our homes, but they are still machines—and any machine can break down. One fairly common problem with air conditioners is that they can sometimes freeze. This may disrupt use or lead to a puddle of water. In this article, we will discuss this issue and what you can do to help.

Managing a Frozen Air Conditioning Unit

Your air conditioner is freezing—what can you do? Depending on the cause of this problem, you might need a quick trick, or you might need to call in the experts. Let’s explore the causes of this problem and how you can fix it today and for the foreseeable future.

Why Do Air Conditioners Freeze?

Every air conditioner unit has its own quirks, but there are some A/C problems that seem to transcend models. Most air conditioners can freeze—but what makes this happen?

There are actually quite a few issues that can arise with an air conditioner that may result in freezing. The problems are generally linked to the airflow in the system or the refrigerant in the system.

When there is poor airflow, ice can naturally build up. For this reason, it is important to make sure your unit is set up correctly and that your filter is cleaned on a regular basis.

Refrigerant is responsible for keeping your system running correctly, but when levels are low, or something is wrong, the system will not work correctly. Find the right balance in your system with refrigerant.

How to Unfreeze Your Air Conditioner

Seeing a frozen or leaking air conditioning unit can come as quite a shock, but fixing it initially really isn’t that hard. To begin, turn off the unit, so it is no longer producing cold air. Once this is done, you can allow the system to dry naturally or turn on the fan to help the system thaw out before you use it again.

Getting the Support You Need

Although you should be able to dry your unit up on your own, the fact remains that there is a reason the system is freezing. To figure out the cause of the problem and ensure it doesn’t happen again, it helps to work with professionals. Local HVAC experts can help you get your A/C unit up and running, even if it has a long history of freezing up on you.

Get the Support You Need

A frozen air conditioning unit is a unit that is calling out for help. If you have this problem and notice it keeps on happening, you need to explore Denver air conditioning services. We help you to assess the situation and offer simple fixes so your A/C unit can run like it is brand new!

Who Invented the Air Conditioning?

Air conditioning is one technology it is hard to imagine life without–who actually made it?

Hot weather is great when you are lounging by the pool, but it can be a lot less pleasant when you are melting inside on your couch. Though fans can provide some temporary relief, nothing works quite like the air conditioner. In today’s world, we have so many different models with different features–but have you ever thought to look back at where it all began? In this post, we’re looking into the invention of the air conditioner.

Inventing the Air Conditioner

Bringing cool air to the masses is the kind of offering that is guaranteed to bring you some degree of fame, but the original versions of the air conditioner weren’t quite what we know today. The history of the air conditioner is surprisingly complex. Let’s take a look at how it all began.

When Was the Air Conditioner First Made?

Even though most of us can’t imagine life without the air conditioner, it actually wasn’t introduced until the 1900s. Specifically, the first version of the air conditioner comparable to what we know today was created in 1902. Before that, fans were the only real relief from the heat available!

Who Created the First Air Conditioner?

The version of the air conditioner that was released in 1902 was created by a man named Willis Haviland Carrier. As you might expect, Carrier was a very talented engineer. Like any engineer, he was committed to solving a problem–and the problem actually wasn’t the masses melting in the sweltering heat. He was looking to cool down a business dedicated to printing. Yes, objects received this technology long before we did!

How Have Air Conditioners Changed?

Throughout history, air conditioners have changed time and time again–always for the better. Since their introduction, air conditioners have decreased in size and increased in efficiency. We can fit them into smaller places (including windows!), and they take a lot less energy to run. Even today’s systems that are not considered energy efficient are more efficient than older models.

Are There A Lot of Air Conditioner Manufacturers?

Given the popularity of air conditioners, we shouldn’t be surprised that a lot of big names have joined the market. There are tons of air conditioner manufacturers all around the world. Thanks to these talented groups, we have the cold air we know and love!

The Takeaway

Life without air conditioning is hot and humid. Even though Denver isn’t known for its humidity, it is known to bring the heat during those summer months–especially in the evenings. For all of your modern Denver air conditioning needs, we are happy to help. Our experts will help you to enjoy all of the benefits that modern air conditioning systems can offer and more!